ItchyFeet76 Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 So. We've been looking at houses online and have seen some awesome McMansions out west (Wyndham Vale, Taylor's Lakes, Keilor, Caroline Springs, etc.), all within 40 mins' commute from the CBD and with decent reviews online (not that you can trust all reviews, mind ?). Most of the houses look unloved in, with no clutter or belongings, bare work tops, empty shelves, but all furnished and made to look like show homes - absolutely stunning, in some cases. So we're just wonderi what the deal is with all these places - are they all investment properties that are barely lived in and have been staged to sell, or is there a mass exodus for some reason, and people are just seriously decluttering to make them saleable?? I-F ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Are they "spec builds"? Some builders specialise in building houses to go on the open market once finished. They sometimes put minimal furniture in to help improve saleability. You can often get a clue by looking at the garden - newly /minimally landscaped with no established plants is an indication of a spec build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Usually estate agents encourage sellers to declutter, depersonalise and get their homes inspection ready before the photos - so they rarely looked lived in (unless they have tenants in). Remember that when you sell here you have regular open houses so you need to live your life for a few weeks like you are just camping in your house so that it does not get messy! There is no exodus from the west - but there are huge differences in facilities and infrastructure in those places you list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 If you can post an example of the type of home you were viewing we could have a look for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 You need to learn Estate Agent speak, views, yep if you climb the tree in the garden. Distance, as the crow flies direct. All the outer areas have new estates with new houses but the blocks of land are generally smaller than older houses. Also the infrastructure is woeful in lots of cases. You need to check what the internet connections are going to be like. Also what public transport is available and how often it runs. Generally the streets in new estates are like the houses, not a lot of people around in the day time as everyone works paying the mortgage. Schools and Kingergartens may have more demand on them than older areas due to the age of the residents. Lots to be thought about and you need to write a list of what you need and what you want as they are different. The newer houses do draw people in as they design them that way. Open plan and lovely but not so lovely if you have teenagers. I personally believe that open plan is a have and that its just a cheap way of building houses and extracting money from people's wallets, less doors and walls. Coming from the Uk where generally there are a lot of people around and things happening all the time, it can be quite daunting. Daunting to Aussies as well who have lived in the older suburbs here. Good luck, do your homework and always visit the area in the evening, that is when the hoons are around and everyone else, might be a dream by day and a nightmare after hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-caroline+springs-121961810 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 Thanks for the tips Petals, sounds like good advice. The older houses we've seen look a lot smaller and with smaller gardens though??!! (Maybe it's just the area?). We don't mind open plan as our uk house is big but with lots of small rooms, so we're actually looking forward to fewer (but bigger) rooms [emoji4] We've checked the commuting time and they're not too bad (around 30 mins) with the newish light rail system. Looking forward to getting over there and seeing these houses / areas in person! [emoji39] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 That looks a nice house. Caroline Springs is a fairly new area so probably most of the houses would be quite new, 5 years old or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 That's a good example of what you get in that area for that money. Caroline springs is not great for public transport (station is coming....) but it is quite well developed now. Lots of shops, restaurants, doctors and a pretty easy drive to town outside peak times and a wide range of public and private schools. Even has serviced apartments for when the relatives come (!) and good sporting facilities. There are a lot of houses about the vintage of that house - 15 or so years old. There is still some land available nearby so many people would build a new house rather than buy one that is starting to look a bit dated inside. But of course the 15 year old ones have the best access to facilities. I would choose it over Point Cook. Taylors lakes is closer to the city and also has good infrastructure as it is around 15 years older again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 I can't see the photos in your link for some reason (the Internet is poor here) most houses that are new builds are designed to look like show houses with the minimalistic look. Especially when they are offering them for rent or for sale. It isn't just the west look at any of the new builds in Berwick etc they are all the same style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kezzles Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I have just moved from St Kilda to a gorgeous house in Caroline Springs. Its very different in the West but you do get a lot more for your money. CS is a lovely area with a huge lake and shopping centre. CS station is due for completion this year but at the moment I drive to Deer Park around 8 minutes and then its only 20 mins on the train to the city. Easy! a lot of houses are brand new, mine included, we are the first to live in it! If you have a family then its a great place to live with some beautiful properties on offer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 Different how...?! Thanks for your comment, Kezzles, my oh is very pro-CS because of the upcoming station and lovely houses, but I also like the idea of Upwey and Ferntree Gully (or Diamond Creek, perhaps) - somewhere more rural and with more chance to experience the Australian bush (and wildlife!)... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Upwey and FTG are very green and bushy. Pretty immediate access to native bushland. Long established and up to an hour to the city by train. CS is much more closely packed and very new. Larger modern houses on smaller blocks with much greater housing density and the feel of a planned community. The train trip will be a LOT quicker. You are likely to get a smaller older house but a bigger garden in Upwey/ FTG. The two places have a completely different look and feel and I'd have a good explore if I were you to get a feel for which one speaks to you. If you are scared of spiders and bushfires then CS is lower risk! Beach access to the Peninsula/ Phillip Isalnd is pretty good from Upwey/ FTG with Eastlink. From CS you'd be heading for Williamstown/ Altona for a 'city" beach in half an hour or down to Geelong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 Yeah fires do concern me, but a lot of the houses we've seen (on Domain) look (from Google Earth / Streetview) like they're in quite built-up areas and not actually 'in the bush'...?? Oh has been looking on Facebook pages about Caroline Springs and unearther some rather disconcerting information (kangaroo tails found in bins, hoons racing up and down the streets at night, unsavoury characters casing joints, high burglary rates, etc.) - is this something you've experienced and would you let it put you off (if you didn't already live there) or would you (as I do) assume it doesn't make it a bad area but is probably actually indicative of it being a GOOD area because it's attracting burglars - bad areas have nothing worth nicking, iykwim! Or does that sound stupid...?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Yeah fires do concern me, but a lot of the houses we've seen (on Domain) look (from Google Earth / Streetview) like they're in quite built-up areas and not actually 'in the bush'...?? Oh has been looking on Facebook pages about Caroline Springs and unearther some rather disconcerting information (kangaroo tails found in bins, hoons racing up and down the streets at night, unsavoury characters casing joints, high burglary rates, etc.) - is this something you've experienced and would you let it put you off (if you didn't already live there) or would you (as I do) assume it doesn't make it a bad area but is probably actually indicative of it being a GOOD area because it's attracting burglars - bad areas have nothing worth nicking, iykwim! Or does that sound stupid...?! All areas in Melbourne have good and bad, all areas have hoons due to the fact that for some reason the young want a high powered car and have lots of money for new tyres. Hoons in an area probably live somewhere else. If there is a pub around often this then attracts people from other areas. As the blocks are becoming so small in the newer areas more people are discontented with their neighbours. Not only are the block smaller in newer areas, the roads tend to be narrower too hence all the cars parked on nature strips outside houses etc. Depending on who we are whether we want that sort of life. Personally I could not live it I like my space and living with a lot of space I find that people are a lot more friendly. Once we get denser population, people tend to hide away and keep to themselves. Another personal choice for me is to live in the South East, I am not a fan of the west at all. Never have been. Too flat and it seems to get less rainfall which does not suit me as I like a green garden. I do like new housing but not acres and acres of it, just small pockets in older areas. What is happening where I live is that people are buying houses that were built in the seventies as they are on good size land and extending them upwards and outwards and they still have the benefit of the proximity to all services, schools, transport etc. When you consider that you can buy an older house for 300,000 on a block that is 800 sq metres or 1000 sq metres and live in it until you have the cash to upgrade its a good deal against the price of new land at 180 thousand for 300 sq metres and 200 - 300 for 500 sq metres to 1000 sq metres, in fact 1000 sets people back 400 these days. Need to really do homework, see who lives where and what they are up to, spend a lot of time in an area interested in, read the local Leader Newspaper for the area, they are on line and free. Gives an idea of crime in an area etc. The local papers are the ones with all the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kezzles Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Different how...?! Thanks for your comment, Kezzles, my oh is very pro-CS because of the upcoming station and lovely houses, but I also like the idea of Upwey and Ferntree Gully (or Diamond Creek, perhaps) - somewhere more rural and with more chance to experience the Australian bush (and wildlife!)... St kilda is much busier, good pubs, restaurants close to the beach and city. Its a young area with lots of backpackers. CS is more family orientated no pubs lol, except for he one int he west waters hotel which isn't too bad, nice views of the lake. If i had a choice and money then i would probably love bayside but our circumstances right now CS is perfect for us. Yes there are lots of new builds, we have moved to brand new one where all the houses are brand new and all the neighbors are new and super friendly. I have NEVER seen kangaroo tails in bins hahaha! that's gross. I have heard hoons late at night but not so much and that can happen anywhere its a common theme in oz. I have never seen any trouble , in fact st kilda was worse with crack heads everywhere! you wont really be able to decide till you arrive and actually go and visit the places you fancy on your list to get a feel of them. When do you arrive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Just be aware that any capital growth on houses in places like Caroline Springs will be very poor compared to established suburbs closer to the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I wouldn't like to live in the West, personally - kind of soulless but I have heard Caroline Springs has a bit of a community so maybe that is ok. I prefer the East, though and if you look around there are still a few nice places that are not too expensive- Croydon Hills, parts of North Ringwood even Lilydale if you don't mind a bit of a hike to the city. Train lines for all these. Other places that are 'leafy' and reasonable are Montrose, Kilsyth, Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park. Bayswater is one of the places going up in the world, used to be industrial but now going ahead in leaps and bounds, and also Boronia is pretty and has a mainline station and good buses. Cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy1986 Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 The west is a rough ol' place, especially when you get out into the sticks. Just last night, possums broke into my house and decided to have a party up in the roof space (well beyond the hours of "reasonable noise"). This morning when I left the house for work, I found that kangaroos had shat all over my doorstep. My work mate lives in Kew and gets to spend more on his rent than I do on my mortgage, he's got a 1 bed apartment and I'm stuck on 5 acres. To make it even worse, he gets to spend more time commuting on the tram than I do on the express vline, I definitely feel like I got the bad deal there! Don't move out west, it's grim as they say. You'll hate it. (Just joking btw but yes, true stories) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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